This shows the second flush of growth in the basement after I cut it a month earlier.

Rolling it to the stairs

Okay, this seemed heavier than last year. I stand the Banana up, bear hug it, and lift it one step, move forward and repeat seven times!!!  (It’s a little hard to take a picture of myself doing this.) Here you can see how the roots grow through the winter in its diaper. One of these years I should weigh it, first when I dig it and later when I plant it so you can see how much respiration and transpiration happens during winter storage.

When I pull the diaper away you can see how wet the banana is. I left it sitting in the sun for it to surface dry so I didn’t get wet bear hugging it and moving it to its hole.

The hole I dig is just deep enough so the the base is at the soil line.  I spade the whole area and then just drop it in.  The roots are ropey.  I make no attempt to spread them.  New roots will initiate from the base.  I don’t stake or guy it..  The roots grow out into the surrounding soil fast enough that top growth has never toppled the plant for me.  And so, it’s planted on another beautiful March afternoon.  I’d cut the top back once over the winter in the basement.  This growth is blanched and will probably fry in the sun, especially if our days stay clear and the sun intense.